Names of councillors who received free parking perk revealed

The four councillors having parking permits for the Mecca Bingo car park paid for by local taxpayers can now finally be named following a response to a Freedom of Information Request.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/117850/free-parking-perk-for-councillors

The four are:

• Councillor Allen Brett (Labour Leader)
• Councillor Ashley Dearnley (Conservative Leader)
• Councillor Janet Emsley (Labour)
• (Former) Councillor Neil Butterworth (Labour)

The four accepted car parking passes at the Mecca Bingo site, a private car park managed by Parking Eye, after the closure of several council car parks, including the nearby Milton Street East car park.

In the FOI response it is claimed: "The members [councillors] were not aware of the cost of the Parking Eye permit."

Asked to comment, Councillor Brett said: "I inherited the pass when I became leader but did not use it at first as they had to transfer it to my car. Even after transfer I was not recognised.

"As soon as I found out the cost I made efforts to pay back, which I hope has been done and from this month will be taken automatically out of my councillors allowances.

"As a deputy leader, I was never offered a pass nor did I seek one and only on becoming leader was I offered the previous leader’s pass. I was never made aware of the cost and do not believe in extra perks beyond the members allowance scheme.

"I do make full use of the pass as I seem to be in One Riverside most days. On travelling outside the borough then I tend to use public transport."

Councillor Ashley Dearnley said: "I have reimbursed from last October when the pass was bought even though I did not need it until February.

"I was just given one and assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that as we [Rochdale Council] own the place there would be no charge, it would be just the same as where we all had parked for free [on now closed council car parks]."

Councillor Janet Emsley said: "I have asked to reimburse the full cost to the Council.

"At the time I was offered the pass I was, and still am, in Number One Riverside on an almost daily basis.

"I did not realise that the Council was paying for the passes as I thought it was a deal made with Mecca Bingo. 

"I accepted the pass as it enabled me to fulfil my role as a councillor and cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture more easily." 

Councillor Andy Kelly, Lib Dem leader, said: "It is all well and good repaying, but it is taxpayers' money and they should have asked the cost before accepting the passes.

"Plus, I am not sure how the chairman of the scrutiny committee [Neil Butterworth at the time], which meets five times a year, warrants a car parking pass."

Councillor Kelly also wants to know why more "taxpayers' money was wasted" by insisting on the "completely unnecessary cost of  having to go through the Council's FOI bureaucracy".

He said: "The answer was known at the time of Rochdale Online asking in April, it did not need weeks to find the answer; this tedious nonsense of deliberate delay and waste of taxpayers' money should stop."